Introduction

This submission outlines five key areas of concern for the Community Council for Australia (CCA) in relation to whistleblower protections and the associated inquiry by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services.

CCA is particularly interested in the terms of reference relating to the development and implementation of whistleblower protections for the charities and not-for-profit sector (NFPs).

Charities across Australia are frustrated with governments not acting to remove red tape and duplication that is costing hundreds of millions of dollars a year in lost productivity.

According to David Crosbie, CEO of the CCA, “Charities have had enough. Governments talk about cutting red tape, but when it comes to freeing up charities to do their work, responsible Ministers fall into the arms of ill-informed bureaucratic advisers and wave more forms in our faces.

This submission outlines nine measures the Community Council for Australia (CCA) believes will significantly strengthen Australia’s not-for-profit (NFP) sector and drive real economic savings for government over the coming financial year and beyond. These measures have been informed by consultation with CCA members (listed in Attachment A) and key organisations in the NFP sector.

It is important to note that this submission does not override the policy positions outlined in any individual Federal budget submissions from CCA members.

After the recent launch of the Australia We Want campaign the challenge now is to translate the national conversation into tangible actions to make Australia a better place, writes CEO of Community Council for Australia David Crosbie in Pro Bono Australia News.

The Australia We Want, First Report provides the first ever benchmark of how Australia, and each State and Territory, is performing against values prioritised by leaders in the charities and not-for-profit sector.

The first Australia We Want report, to be released next week, will set some very import benchmarks towards measuring our progress, but with a challenge to move beyond imagining and start creating a better Australia, writes CEO of Community Council for Australia David Crosbie in Pro Bono News.